Hidden Wounds
by Alberta-Sunrise
Summary: The fellowship has managed to escape from Moria but not unscathed. They have lost Gandalf to a demon from the ancient world and another is wounded. Will the elves of Lorien be able to save them or shall they lose another member of their Fellowship to the evil of Moria.
1. Chapter 1

So I have been suffering from writers' block a little with my other stories however I thought of this one the other day. Hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think.

Hidden Wounds

The fellowship panted as they ran through the large stone arch and away from the horror that had just befallen them. Their eyes pricked with tears and they allowed the truth of what they had just seen set in and consume their emotions. Gimli shouted in anger as he fought against Boromir's grasp, trying in vain to storm back in and face the evil that had overthrown Moria once more. The hobbits sobbed openly; they were folk that were not afraid to show their emotions. Legolas stepped gingerly over the rocky ground, looking around at his travels companions with tear-filled eyes. It was the ranger that had managed to keep the tears at bay and so he stood there cleaning his sword of orc blood with a black rag that he had gotten from his pack. He looked up at the fellowship and his heart sunk a little, he knew that he needed to get them moving or they would all be slaughtered by the time the sun had disappeared behind the mountain.

'Legolas, get them up.' He said as a pang of guilt hit him as the words left his mouth.

The elf looked at his friend with a mixture of confusion and despair but he knew the man was right to move them on and so he slowly stepped towards Merry and Pippin who lay sobbing on the cold stone floor.

'Give them a moment for pity sake' spat Boromir causing the rest of the troop to freeze.

'By nightfall, these hills will be swarming with Orcs.' The ranger replied 'we must reach the woods of Lothlorien he finished as he sheathed his sword.

Boromir was left speechless and stood there contemplating his fellow man's words. He knew Aragorn was right, but his heart broke for the halflings as he knew how much the wizard had meant to them all.

'Come Boromir, Legolas… Gimli get them up.' Aragorn continued as he dashed towards Sam who sat a little further from the group 'on your feet Sam' he said as he pulled the Hobbit to his feet and placed a comforting hand on the halfling's shoulder.

His heart started to race as he realized that Frodo was nowhere near the rest of the group and so his eyes fantastically searched for any sign of the ring bearer. His eyes were rewarded by the sight of Frodo traipsing down the stone hillside a little further down and so shouted his name to stop him in his tracks.

'Come, Merry, Pippin we must leave this place, or we shall all meet the same fate as Gandalf.' Legolas said softly as he tugged at the halflings shirts in an attempt to get them on their feet.

They nodded and slowly stood, dusting the remnants of Moria from their clothing and straightened their coats in an attempt to compose themselves. The elf winced slightly as he straightened himself and he hoped that it had gone unnoticed, but alas Pippin caught the momentary sight of pain on the elf's face. However he did but did not press the elf for answers. Part of him was too tired and drained but the other part felt like it was not his place to. The elf seemed to compose himself quickly and so they followed the rest of the fellowship who was now just a little way ahead of them.

The sun was starting to fail as they reached the wood. The leaves illuminated all around them and bathed them in a warm golden light that brought a little sense of calm to group, all except the dwarf. He grumbled to himself, jumping at any slight movement of a branch to fall of a leaf. Legolas stumbled suddenly causing the fellowship to stop in surprise, elves don't stumble.

'Legolas, are you alright?' quizzed the ranger as he looked at his friend with concern etched into his tired feature.

'Yes, I am quite alright.' He said, trying to think of an excuse to give for his trip 'I am weary from battle is all.'

Aragorn nodded and said no more, but Legolas was unsure as to whether the man had believed his excuse. He could hear the dwarf whispering to Frodo and Sam and a small smile crossed his lips at Gimli's words. He was snapped quickly out of his trance however by an arrow pointed directly at him. He scorned himself for not hearing their attackers' approach, but soon realized that they were surrounded by elves.

'The dwarf breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark.' Came a voice as an elegant white-haired elf came into view.

Legolas stepped quickly towards the elf and began to plead in their own tongue. Aragorn stood behind the elf and interjected from time to time before the elf turned to the rest of the group and asked them to follow. So, they did and soon the golden light turned to pale tones of green and blue as they approached a tall ladder that scaled up the side of a tall tree with a thick trunk.

'Do we have to climb up that?' asked Merry as he stared up into the canopy with a perturbed expression.

'Aye that we do young hobbit.' Replied the ranger as he smirked at the puzzled halfling.

So, they began to climb, the ranger and Legolas close behind their guide, followed closely by Boromir, Merry and Pippin. Frodo and Sam were then followed by Gimli who huffed and puffed as they ascended the ladder, cursing to himself as he pushed small leafy branches out of his way. After a little while they came to a clearing in the tree and were greeted with wide platform that was littered with detailed pillars that held a white carved roof above it. Hanging from each support was a small glass ball that glowed bright in the dim light of night. The fellowship clambered onto it and followed the white-haired elf till he stopped dead in his tracks.

He turned to face Legolas and Aragorn who were stood behind him, looking at him with quizzical expressions.

'You can go no further.' He said suddenly and started to leave only for Legolas to grab his arm.

'Haldir please.' He pleaded but the jolting movement of his fellow elf trying to leave send waves of pain through him and he doubled over, clutching his belly as he tried to compose himself.

'Legolas?' said the Ranger as he grabbed his friends' shoulders in an attempt to steady him.

This time however the elf could not reply, only fall to his knees as the pain became too much to bear. He pulled his hand away from his middle and found that it had been stained red with his blood which only made the elf panic more. He looked up at Haldir who had dropped to his level, eyes filled with concern and then to Aragorn whose expression was one of pure panic. Aragorn took in the thin layer of sweat that now covered the elf's brow and wondered what ailed his companion, but he soon found himself catching the prince as his eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped to the ground as unconsciousness took hold.

'No' Aragorn breathed as he shook Legolas' lifeless body.

'What's wrong with him.' Asked Haldir as his eyes flicked from his kin to the Ranger.

Aragorn shook his head as he laid his friend on the ground and began to inspect this wound. He cursed himself for not seeing it earlier, but he knew that his punishing himself would not help Legolas now. He managed to open up his tunic and what greeted him was a gruesome arrow wound. He scanned through his memories of the battle in an attempt to ascertain when Legolas had received the wound but alas, he could not. He opened his pack and scrambled about for his supplies, his hands shaking so severely that he dropped most of its contents on the floor.

'We shall take him to our healers.' Stated Haldir as he lifted the unconscious elf into his arms, turned and left leaving a dumbfounded fellowship behind.

'What happened to the elf?' asked Gimli as he walked to Aragorn's side.

'I uh… I don't know.' Replied the ranger as he watched after Haldir who had now disappeared from view.

Several hours passed and the fellowship received no news of their wounded companion. The hobbits muttered to each other under their breath and the dwarf leant against one of the finely carved pillars, snoring in his deep slumber. Aragorn continued to stare into the distance, Boromir at his side. The Gondorian seemed to be speaking to the ranger but the man did not at first acknowledge what was said.

'How long have you and Legolas known each other?' the warrior asked, drawing Aragorn's attention 'I noticed in Rivendell that the two of you were well acquainted. You seem to have a strong friendship.'

Aragorn nodded but did not immediately reply. He thought hard about how to respond to Boromir's question.

'We met a little time after the battle of the five armies.' He replied 'I was a young ranger in the north and he had been tasked with finding me by his father.'

Boromir edged in a little closer as his interest spiked.

'I was but in my twenties at the time, young and naïve to the world. A good fighter aye but what good is that when you have no real knowledge of the world.' He paused for a moment, smiling at the memories that flashed through his mind. ' We have been through many perils together but never have I had to see him like this. He is the finest warrior that I have seen, he seemed to me to be invincible.'

'No one is invincible.' Replied Boromir softly as he gave Aragorn and friendly pat on the back.

With that they sat in silence, awaiting news of Legolas' fate. Little did they know that they would not have to wait long.

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Well there is the first chapter. Please do let me know what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

Wow, got an awesome initial response from the first chapter of this story so thanks for all the feedback. Here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it.

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Revelation

After what felt likes days of waiting Haldir returned, his clothes had changed and his expression was wild. The fellowship stood up and walked towards the white-haired elf, eager to hear news of their comrade.

'How does he fare?' Asked Aragorn, his eyes pleading.

'He was badly wounded but our healers have seen that he will recover. He needs rest.' Haldir replied as he placed a comforting hand on the ranger's shoulder.

Aragorn nodded and let out a small sigh of relief 'Hannon le' he said as he nodded in appreciation.

'The lady Galadriel has asked that I bring you before her and Lord Celeborn ' the elf continued, his tone of voice changing to a more commanding one 'Follow me.'

The fellowship did as he bid and followed Haldir down a winding stair towards a well-lit path that led further into the woodland. Their surroundings once again were filled with a golden light as they approached their destination. Once again they came to a large thick tree, this time a spiral stairway wrapped around its trunk. As they ascended the golden light disappeared and was replaced with soft blue and white hues as they climbed higher and higher. At the top of the stairs was another platform with another set of steps at its end. Legolas stood at their base, his arm clutching his wounded belly, smiling as the fellowship came into view. Haldir was as surprised to see the elven prince stood there as the rest of them, stalking up to his kin and demanding he rest in their own tongue.

'I have rested long enough today Haldir. I wish to see how my companions are fairing.' He said as he smiled at the hobbits, their own grins stretching from ear to ear.

'Its good to see you on your feet Mr. Legolas sir.' said Sam, coughing awkwardly.

'It is good to see you too Sam.' the elf replied as he smiled softly at the hobbit's embarrassment.

'Legolas how do you feel?' Quizzed Aragorn as he walked to his friend's side.

'As well as is to be expected.' He replied as he smiled weakly at his friend.

Aragorn opened his mouth so speak again but was interrupted by a bright light at the top of the stairs. He turned his attention to it and was greeted by the sight of two elves gliding gracefully down the steps. One was a woman, intimidating in her beauty and the other a man, his expression stern as he scanned the fellowship with his deep blue eyes.

'Eight that are here yet nine there were set out from Rivendell. Tell me where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak with him.' said the male elf as his gaze came to land on Legolas.

'Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land. He has fallen into Shadow.' Said the Woman, her face sad.

'He was taken by both Shadow and flame. A Balrog of Morgoth.' Said Legolas, his eyes fixed on the woman. 'For we went needlessly into the net of Moria.' he finished as his eyes were pricked with new tears.

She looked at Legolas with a mixture of concern and sorrow. The elf jumped as her voice sounded in his head _You fought bravely in Moria, do not let your wounds lead you to think you are weak. _He nodded at her statement, smiling slightly as his eyes dropped to the floor.

'Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life. We do not yet know his full purpose.' she said after a short paused, her gaze falling on Gimli who was mesmerized by her beauty.

'What now becomes of this Fellowship? Without Gandalf, hope is lost.' her husband, piped up as he looked at his wife and then to Aragorn whose gaze had not faltered from them.

'The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while the Company is true.' she continued, looking around at the fellowship 'Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight you will sleep in peace' she finished as she smiled at them all.

'We have arranged some bedrolls for you all to seep on. Legolas you should return to our healers, there you will be better rested and will heal.'

'Nay, I wish to stay with the fellowship.' he replied as he looked at his companions.

The pair did not argue and began to ascend back up the stairs, leaving the group with Haldir.

'Legolas you must rest.' said Aragorn as he grabbed the elf before he had, had a chance to leave 'You will not recover if you are laying on the hard ground.'

'Aragorn I am well. Please do not trouble yourself with me.' replied the prince as he patted the ranger on the arm and followed the rest of the group.

Aragorn threw his arms up its defeat as he followed his stubborn friend to the camp that had been prepared for them. They were greeted by soft pillows and blankets upon soft mattresses on the ground and upon a large root was a tray covered in different foods and adored with a glass jug of wine.

'Ah, food.' Exclaimed the Dwarf as he sprinted for the tray, eliciting a chuckle from Legolas and the Ranger as the watched him run.

They sat for some time and spoke of tails of Gandalf, his fireworks, his kind heart and giving nature. They listened to the lament that emanated from the treetops. Legolas stood there and listened keenly, his heart saddened as he remembered the wizard, their past encounters and the moments before he fell. He stepped away from the group and sat beside Boromir who was perched on a tree root a little away from the rest of the group. They sat for a little while in silence before the man piped up.

'What happened Legolas?' he asked as he looked at the Elf with questioning eyes 'how were you wounded?'

The elf sat in silence for a moment as he pondered his reply, he was not one for discussing himself but he'd known that the question was going to be asked.

'I was shot shortly after the troll arrived in the chamber, it came from nowhere and I had no time to avoid it.' the elf replied.

Boromir set his mind back to that battle, remembering the chaos that has ensued as the elf went to a little more details of what had happened.

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Large shards of rock flew through the air as the cave troll barged through the doorway, rendering the doors to nothing more than firewood. Legolas shot an arrow at the fowl creature but it did little to slow it down. The troll roared in anger before stomping further into the chamber, swinging its club around, taking out whatever it connected with, even orcs. The creature swung at Sam, only for the halfling to flee through the its thick legs. Roaring in frustration it turned and raised its foot in an attempt to stomp on Sam but was stopped as Aragorn and Boromir pulling on its chain, causing the creature to lose balance. Legolas watched as the troll turned its attention to the two men, throwing Boromir across the room with its chain. Little did the elf know that this momentary lapse in concentration allowed an orc to notch an arrow in its bow and take a shot. The impact took the air out of the prince's lungs as he stumbled backward before looking down at the shaft protruding from his gut in surprise. He snapped out of his daze quickly enough to cut down a different orc that had used this momentary lapse as an attempt to cut the warrior down permanently. Despite his wound, Legolas cut it down with ease then proceeded to rip out the arrow and toss it to the ground. He was surprised that the pain was minimal, perhaps it was the chaos around him, distracting him from the severity of his own situation. He continued to cut down more and more orcs as they came at him in waves but soon his attention was grabbed again by the troll who was now attempting to flatten Gimli. Notching two arrows into his bow he fired them at the creature, drawing its focus to him and away from the dwarf. The troll roared again as the elf cut down an orc that had attempted to sneak up behind him. With this, the troll swung its chain at Legolas in an attempt to knock him down but the prince dodged it with ease. Angered by this the troll swung it again, but once again Legolas avoided it but he narrowly missed the next swing as the chain hit the ground beside him and sent broken stone flying through the air. This caused Legolas to lose his balance and he stumbled back, pain ripping through he belly but the elf pushed that back and leaped onto the chain that had now wrapped itself around a stone pillar. He skipped up it and landed on the creature's shoulders, holding himself steady despite the troll's squirming, he fired two arrows into its head but they bounced straight off. With this the elf leaped down from its shoulders, gasping as the wind was taken from his lungs once more upon landing on the dusty stone floor. He snuck off, hiding in a dark corner so that he could inspect his wound. It was bleeding freely and he sucked air through his teeth as he placed pressure on it in an attempt to staunch the bleed. He knew he could not hide here whilst the rest of the fellowship risked their lives to push the fowl creatures back. He poked his head around the pillar that he hid behind and saw that Merry and Pippin where sat on the trolls broad shoulders, slashing and stabbing it as it threw its large body around in an attempt to throw them off. Merry did indeed fall off but Pippin did not and as he stabbed the dull creature in the back of its neck, it threw its large head back giving Legolas the opening he needed and in the blink of an eye, he had notched his arrow, aimed and let it loose. The arrow sliced through its throat and finished in his brain, finally bringing the creature down. Legolas breathed a small sigh of relief as the room became quiet, but with that quiet came the pain. A white-hot, searing pain that ripped through his stomach and filled his legs as, causing him to waiver slightly before he then composed himself. He was ripped from his trance by the sound of orcs shrieking in the distance and so once again he managed to summon strength, this time to run.

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Aragorn approached the two, he had heard what Legolas had said and wanted to know more, however, he knew Legolas would not tell them and so he pretended that he had heard nothing as he walked into view.

'Come rest both of you. These borders are well protected.' He said, taking in Boromir's worried expression.

Legolas looked at Aragorn and followed his gaze to Boromir who was now sat, staring at his hands. Without a word he stood, nodded at Aragorn and left, leaving the two men to talk. He winced as the sudden movement pulled at his wound but he shrugged it off and walked back into the camp. The hobbits and dwarf were now asleep, several were snoring which was a sound that brought a small smile to the elf's lips. It had been some time since he had seen the halflings at peace. He perched himself on a stone bench and allowed his mind to wander into the treetops. Breathing in the woodland air, he too felt at peace.

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Well now you know how the elf was wounded, but will he be mended by the time they leave? I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will do all I can to get the next one up tomorrow. Please let me know what you thought.


	3. Chapter 3

Once again thanks for the awesome feedback, so glad you like the story so far! I have ideas on how to develop it further but I have had some people send me ideas of how they'd like it to go so please do continue. Always love it when I write things people want to read :) Heres the next chapter, enjoy!

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Something Bigger

The fellowship rested for a few more days allowing Legolas to heal further and in turn, his strength began to return to him. One evening the fellowship sat around and listened as Legolas and Aragorn spoke of the many perils that they had faced together, including how Legolas had just come upon the ranger by chance even though he had been searching for him in the first place. They jested about how they did not like each other at first but when Legolas saved Aragorn from a particularly hungry warg, their friendship blossomed. As the tail ended it dawned on the group that come sunrise they would be leaving the safety of the golden wood and would once again return to their perilous journey to mount doom. Frodo had been quiet and withdrawn from the rest of the fellowship ever since the first night they had spent in Lothlorien. He often sat by himself staring at the gold ring that hung from the chain around his neck, tears falling down his porcelain cheeks. The elf knew that the hobbit blamed himself for Gandalf's death despite many members of the party telling him otherwise. The morning sun shone through the canopy above as the fellowship prepared to leave. They had been given gifts by the Lady Galadriel and her husband Celeborn. Legolas was gifted a bow of the Galadrim which was a high honor even for Mirkwood royalty. Galadriel had taken him to one side after the gifts had been exchanged, giving him words of warning.

'Be careful Legolas Thrandulion. I have seen great peril in your future if you are not wary of battle.' said the lady of the wood as she took one of his hands in hers.

'What do you mean?' he questioned as he looked at her with a quizzical expression.

'I mean that if you sense danger, do not run towards it. For it could lead to peril.' she replied as her gaze slipped away from him and towards the rest of the group who were beginning to load the boats.

She slipped away leaving Legolas to ponder what she had just told him, what could she mean by sensing danger. Was she talking of his death? He was brought back to reality by Aragorn patting him lightly on the shoulder as he walked past, bringing a small nod of acknowledgment from the elf but nothing more. The ranger noticing this grew worried for his friend, turning to look at the elf as he began assisting Merry and Pippin with packing the supplies. Once everything was loaded the fellowship hopped into the small white boats and began paddling down the calm river waters. Lady Galadriel standing at the riverbank to bid them a final farewell as they left.

They paddled for a little while until the trees no longer covered them overhead, with this Gimli let out a loud sigh.

'I have taken my worst wound at this parting, having looked my last upon that which is fairest. Henceforth I will call nothing fair unless it be her gift to me.' said Gimli suddenly, his voice cracking a little as his emotions threaten to overthrow him.

''What was her gift|?' asked Legolas softly.

'I asked her for one hair from her golden head. She gave me three.' Replied the dwarf bringing a smile to the elf's face.

The continued to travel down the river in silence, the waters becoming more choppy the further they got. After several hours the light began to fail and Aragorn motioned that they make camp for the night on the river bank. Legolas remained silent that night, taking the watch so that he could ponder Galadriel's words further. Day broke once again and they did not waste time when it came to continuing down the river, only slowing to take in the beauty of Argonath, the two mighty statues carved into the cliff face. Each holding up a powerful hand as if to force back the evil of middle-earth. As they continued on, white plumes of cloud appeared in the distance, they were fast-moving and blew wildly in the wind, they were close to the falls. Once again they paddled their boats to the shore and unpacked their supplies, the hobbits watching as Aragorn and Boromir did the brunt of the work.

'We cross the lake at nightfall. Hide the boats and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the north.' Said the ranger as he dumped the last of the packs onto the stony ground.

'Oh, yes? It's just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil? An impassable labyrinth of razor-sharp rocks! And after that, it gets even better!… Festering, stinking marshlands far as the eye can see.' Spat Gimli, eliciting a worried expression from Pippin.

'That is our road. I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, Master Dwarf.' replied the Ranger as he tried hard to hold back a smirk.

'Recover my!… ugh paid no heed to that young hobbit.' he finished

A cold feeling came over Legolas as his eyes attempted to see through the thick dark woodland, dread filling his heart as he turned and stormed up to Aragorn.

'We should leave now.'

'No. Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for cover of darkness.' Replied the ranger as he returned the elf's gaze.

'It is not the eastern shore that worries me. A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near. I can feel it.' pushed the elf as he grabbed Aragorn's arm 'Galadriel warned me about this.'

'Warned you about what?'

Legolas opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by Merry as he dumped the firewood he had been tasked with finding onto the ground.

'Where's Frodo?'

Aragorn's attention was then drawn to where the Hobbit had been sat not five minutes ago and noticed that he'd been replaced by Boromir's shield. Legolas and he shared a look, both knowing what the man of Gondor would try to do.

'Come we should find them.' he said as he patted the elf on the arm and darted off into the forest.

Legolas hesitated for a moment, this must be what Galadriel had warned him about. If he left to find their two companions, would he meet his end? He thought about it a little more but decided to follow the Ranger despite the lady of the wood's warning. This quest was bigger than him, he had to find the ring-bearer and ensure he was safe from harm. With his decision made he jogged into the woods after his old friend, careful not to re-open his wound from Moria. His ears picked up the sound of swords clashing and followed it, coming to a battle that currently, only Aragorn fought. Drawing an arrow he shot an orc with lightning speed before notching another and firing it just as quickly. Orcs came at him waving their weapons above their heads but he cut them down with ease.

'Aragorn go!' he shouted as he fought off another.

The ranger did not listen and continued to fight the onslaught of orcs that appeared from over the hill. Legolas drew his blades, his fighting style to an outsider looked more like a dance as he stabbed and sliced the creatures as they threw themselves at him in the hope they'd be more successful than the last. Legolas managed to run a little away from the battle in order to shoot them down with arrows as they approached, falling like flies as he took them all down with a single shot. One Orc managed to overpower the ranger and despite several blows to the head, it did not waiver. It dragged Aragorn away from the tree that he had, had him pinned against a few moments before but little did the creature know that this was just the opportunity Legolas needed and he shot the foul creature in the back. Suddenly Legolas was knocked to the ground as another orc punched him hard in the belly, taking the wind from his lungs. The elf lay down staring up at his attacker, not allowing the fear he felt to seep into his expression. The orc raised its sword ready to deal the final blow but it never came and it fell to the floor revealing the Ranger standing behind it panting, his bloody sword in hand. Legolas fought to catch his breath as he tried to push himself up but pain once again erupted through his belly and he looked down to see that blood had started to stain his tunic.

'Oh no.' breathed the ranger as a wave of dizziness hit the elf and he fell back onto the hard earth.

A horn sound filled the air, distracting both the elf and the ranger for a moment.

'The horn of Gondor.' said Legolas weakly as he raised his head and looked in the direction the sound had come from.

'Boromir.'

'Go, find him. He may need your help more than I.' said the elf as he smiled weakly at his friend.

'I cannot leave you.' Replied the ranger.

'This quest is bigger than any one of us. Go, leave me. I shall find my feet after I catch my breath.'

They both knew that the elf's statement was not true, but Aragorn agreed and darted off in the fellow man's direction leaving the elf and the dwarf alone.

'Come now laddy, you can't be scaring us again like this.' said the dwarf as he took a few small steps towards the elf.

'I will be fine in time.' Legolas replied as he gave Gimli an awkward smile.

Darkness pulled at his mind and despite his best efforts to fight it, it was a battle he lost.

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Right I hope you enjoyed the update. I will try and get another one up the day after next :) Please let me know what you thought!


	4. Chapter 4

SOOOOOOOO sorry this took so long but I have had so much going on. I hope this will make up for the wait.

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Fellowship

Gimli stood over his elven companion, desperately trying to hide his shaking hands as he kept a lookout for any further approaching enemies. Legolas stirred on the forest floor, his eyes cracking open as a small moan escaped his thin lips.

'Laddy?' asked the dwarf as he bent forward 'come on pointy ears, can't having you dying on us.'

'Who are you calling pointy ears?' came a small, raspy voice 'At least I'm taller than a tree stump.'

Gimli let out a loud laugh as he watched the elf slowly return to consciousness, his eyes rolling round beneath their lids as he fought the darkness that clawed away at his mind. He put his hands at his sides and attempted to push himself up but was interrupted by pain exploding through his belly. He let out a blood-curdling scream as his whole body began to spasm and he writhed on the forest floor. All Gimli could do was watch in horror, helpless to as the prince cried in agony. After what felt like an eternity to the dwarf, Legolas' screams subsided and he was then left panting on the mossy floor.

'Are you still with me laddy?' breathed Gimli as he fell to one knee beside him.

'I think so.' gasped Legolas.

He looked down at his belly to see his tunic was almost black. He touched it with shaky fingers and pulled them away to see they were coated with hot sticky red blood.

"Agh' exclaimed the elf as he wiped his blood onto his chaps and attempted again to push himself up.

'Come, let me help you.' said Gimli as he held out one gloved hand.

The elf took it and nodded in appreciation as he stumbled to his feet, wavering slightly as dizziness swamped his brain.

'Whoa, steady there Princeling' said the Dwarf as he grabbed both of Legolas' arms to steady him.

'Come let's find Aragorn.' Continued the elf as he wrapped his arm around his middle and jogged off in the direction that the horn had come from.

The sprinted down the uneven hills and past the many orc bodies that littered the way. Despite his wounded state the elf still easily outpaced the dwarf and soon his eyes were greeted by the site of Aragorn leaning over a felled Boromir and his heart sank a little as his keen hearing picked up what they said to each other.

'I would have followed you my brother… my captain… my king.' Said Boromir weakly as he smiled at the Ranger.

He watched with sad eyes as Aragorn brought his fingers to his head and then to his lips in a sign of prayer before taking the Gondorian's head in his hands 'Be at peace… son of Gondor.' he said before kissing the mans forehead.

Legolas heard Gimli run up behind him but he did not turn to face him, just stood there and watched as his friend got to his feet, his eyes filled with fresh tears. The dwarf grunted behind him as he leant on his axe and looked down at the brown leaves that carpeted the woodland floor. Legolas looked at Gimli then back at Aragorn who had turned to face them, his expression filled with a mixture of grief but also a newfound determination. Legolas' gaze held the ranger's as pain washed over him again and his knees buckled, his eyes drifted down to his bloody abdomen and he knelt there with a dumbfounded expression. Aragorn dashed to his side and caught the elf before he fell onto his back.

'Where is all this blood from.' he said no one in particular as noticed how much paler the Sindar had become.

'I think perhaps that orc did a little more than punch me.' replied the elf, as he allowed a little chuckle to escape his lips.

A warm metallic taste coated his tongue as he looked at Aragorn with wide eyes, his gaze then drifting down and stopping on what the ranger hand found. A fresh wound that bled heavily, it was jagged and deep.

'Aye' that you were Mellon-in.' said the Ranger as he inspected the wound, sucking air through his teeth as he ripped open the Elf's jerkin and exposed the true extent of the wound.

'Arr' just a scratch laddy… you'll be fine.' said the dwarf as he attempted to dull down the situation.

A small amount of relief rushed over him when he saw that Legolas' arrow wound had not reopened and so Aragorn took off his cloak and rolled it up, placing it under Legolas' head. He began to unbuckle the belts around the elf's waist and started to peel away his companions clothes. The cold air made Legolas shivered as it licked his skin but he welcomed the sensation, anything but the pain. Aragorn worked quickly to bind the wound, cursing under his breath that he had not the supplies he needed to deal with such a wound. Legolas had found himself drifting in and out of consciousness, but the dwarf had done what he could to keep the elf awake. Finally, the Ranger finished his work and redressed the elf into his blood-stained clothes.

'Where is Frodo?' said the elf, wincing at his jerkin brushed against his newly dressed wound.

'Frodo's fate, is no longer in our hands.' said the ranger as he gingerly helped his friend to his feet.

'Then it has all been in vain… the fellowship has failed.' said the dwarf, pulling his axe in close to his body as he stepped closer to the others.

'Not if we hold true to each other.' said Aragorn as he turned his gaze to Gimli 'we will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death. Not while we have strength left in us.'

Gimli grunted as he fingered the blade on his axe, his expression was filled with a mixture of emotions. His mind whirring, how were they possibly going to succeed in their mission now? Could the halfling succeed in destroying the ring with just Sam to assist him? His attention then drifted to the elf who was struggling to stay awake.

'Come on laddy, stay awake for us now. No time to be napping.' he said as he smiled at the elf gingerly.

Legolas could feel the darkness tugging at his mind and no matter how hard he fought it, the invitation to nothingness was more and more appealing. Aragorn placed his hand on the elf's shoulder, shaking him slightly when his companion's eyes drifted shut for a few moments. Legolas opened his sapphire orbs, locking onto the Ranger's grey ones and smiled at his friend.

'Come now, we should get going, we are losing daylight.' Said the Aragorn as he flicked his eyes between the elf and the dwarf.

Legolas said nothing, just lay there staring at Aragorn, desperately trying to focus on the man. The pain was the one thing that kept him from falling into darkness. He wondered if this is what Gandalf felt like as he fell into the abyss of Moria. He fought and fought but finally, the darkness won and the elf's eyes rolled back into his skull, his body went rigid and his hands balled into fists as he convulsed from the pain. His face scrunched and mouth wide in a silent scream, allowing blood to spill from the corners if his mouth and down his chin.

'Legolas?' said the Ranger as he grabbed his friends shoulders frantically in an attempt to steady him.

The Elf suddenly went limp, his chin and hair covered in his blood. Aragorn shook the elf, desperately trying to wake him but the prince did not stir. Aragorn's heart pounded in his chest, they were far from help and without supplies. Mere feet from where Legolas lay was the body of Boromir who was going cold in the falling sun. The dwarf stood glued to the spot, his shock evident in his features. Aragorn's breathing quickened as tears threatened to spill again from his tired eyes. _What do I do? _he thought to himself as he went to rub his face with his palms but pulled them away when he saw they were covered in Legolas' blood. They were silent for sometime, Legolas' raspy breathing and the odd chirping bird were the only sounds that could be heard. Without warning the Ranger picked up his effects and placed them back onto his belt, before scooping the elf into his arms.

'Come we have much ground to cover. We will go to Rohan and hope that Legolas survives the journey.' stated the Ranger as he looked at Gimli with an expression he had never seen before, before darting off into the woods leaving Gimli standing there in consternation before he flitted off after him.

The Ranger jogged with a new sense of determination, allowing his gaze to snap down to Legolas occasionally mainly to check if the elf was still alive. The Princes' skin had paled and his lips wet with fresh blood that continued to slip past them. He knew that they couldn't run all night, they would have to rest eventually but he was fighting an internal battle between his sense of duty and what his heart wanted him to do. He knew that if they searched for the Halflings Legolas would die, but if they ran in search of aid for the elf the Hobbits would most certainly perish. Tears slipped freely down his cheeks now at the realisation that he would not be able to save them all.

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Sorry, this took so long. I will try and update this again in the next few days but with all the madness in the world currently, my employer has not yet decided on whether or not we need to be there. Hopefully, they'll see sense soon and I will have more time to write! In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this update and please leave me a review and let me know what you thought!


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